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Rated M for Mature
Appropriate for readers 18 and over. May contain extreme violence, sexual themes, nudity, or profanity.
Note- This series takes place after the events of Project X: The Birth of Wolverine.
Note- This 10-part story continues from Marvel Genesis: Wolverine, Chapter 13- Deliverance.
Wolverine: Future X, Part 4- Experimentation
Year- 2054 A.D.
Location- Mutant Town, New York.
Calvin Rankin used to be a villain of the X-Men. He may be able to copy other people's powers. But the only thing is that he managed to absorb the X-Men's powers permanently due to his father's dangerous experiment. There were first and five original X-Men, Cyclops, Beast, Jean Grey, Iceman, and Angel. Now, I have to figure how I'm goin' to deal with him since he can fly with Angel's wings. I told Gambit the story about Calvin and what he actually was.
We found a cave mine which has been abandoned many years ago. A lot of hard workers used to work in this place. Like Mexican immigrants who migrated from their own country to United States. They wanted to find work so that they can feed their own family. In the past, it was said that the mines were poisonous, and that the workers had no choice but to quit the job. I used to work at this kinda mine before.
Remy stared at the cave. The tracks were shown as if someone had entered it. I checked the tracks to see who it was. I smelled them. It was him, alright. Calvin Rankin is hidin' inside the cave. I wonder why he would do such a thing. Maybe, he's afraid that we might kill him at this moment. Remy asked, "Are you sure about this, Logan?"
"Yea...I'm sure of it." Thanks to my senses, I had to smell the dead Isolationist to see if he had met Calvin earlier. It took time for me to figure out the location of Calvin Rankin. I waited outside the cave, lookin' through the black hole.
"Calvin! Come out!" I shouted at him. There wasn't a single voice comin' from the cave. "I know you're in there!" I shouted again.
Then we heard footsteps comin' from the cave. It took a while for Calvin to finally come out. He looked like a bum. His clothes were ragged and torn. He almost grew his white beard. His white hair hadn't been washed for a while. He looked at me and asked, "What do you want...animal?"
Huh! He called me an animal. He must've known I've killed the Isolationist already. Unlike the Isolationist, Calvin wasn't eager to destroy mutants since his mind was relaxed. It must've been a while to take the trainin' to do the task. Maybe, Vargas had thought him how to control the power of mimicry. By hearin' the thoughts of mutants far away, the Mimic race can copy their powers. I ain't sure about non-mutants, like Spider-Man, Hulk, and others, though. They probably can do it. But now those non-mutant heroes are dead. I heard that most mutants feared the Mimic race. That's why some of them, were challengin' to fight against these godd@mn things.
"What is it you want?" Calvin asked again.
"I came here to talk with you," I said.
Calvin kept quiet as he scratched his white hair. He walked towards us. He looked at me, probably readin' my mind. He also stared at the Cajun mutant. Remy raised his bo staff a bit just in case if Calvin had tried anythin' funny.
"What is it you want to talk about?" Calvin asked curiously.
"It's about the guy who killed the X-Men. I smelled your Josef guy. I bet the killer is with ya."
Calvin looked around his back and turned towards me. He shook his head and said, "No, I don't know what you're talking about."
I grinned and said, "Sure you do, wise guy. You can copy our powers all you want. But I'll slash your throat if you don't tell where he is."
Calvin gave a smirk on the face. He said, "You said...that the killer was responsible for the deaths of the X-Men? I'm...sorry to hear that."
"Yea..." I paused. "Well, you better be sorry, pal." I unleashed my adamantium claws. I looked at Remy. He nodded and charged one of his cards kinetically. Calvin looked both at us. The Angel's wings sprang out from the back of his body. He flew through the sky like a bird.
"D@mn it!" I said. "I knew I should've stopped him when I had the chance."
Remy looked to me and said, "Don't worry, mona ami. We'll get him, one way or the other."
Gambit may be right but we came all this way just to talk with this d@mned copier. Now, we have to search for him again. This might be a tough one. But I think I know someone who can help us track Calvin down easily.
"Hey Remy," I said. "We're goin' to need help on this one."
"Help?" Remy asked with surprise. "Whose help?"
"Caliban," I said.
Year- 2054 A.D. Two Months Earlier.
Location- East Side of Manhattan, New York.
It was hard to try gettin' up. Harry, the fat b@st@rd smiled as he increased a heavy weight upon us. I looked at the other X-Men. They were strugglin' to get up. Cyclops was tryin' to turn his head upwards. He said, "Sebas...tian. We...Ugh...need your...help."
"D@mn...it!" I said angrily. "You...b@$t@rd."
Sebastian came close to me. He smiled and said, "Well...look what we have here. Wolverine. I never thought you would join with the X-Men."
"Sh...ut up!" I said.
Sebastian waved his hand to Harry. Harry looked at him and stopped usin' his heavy mass ability. After a while, we finally got up from the dirty ground. Emma was cleanin' the dirt off her white clothes. Sebastian came towards her. He grabbed her chin and said, "Ahh...Emma. It's been a while. Hasn't it?"
Emma Frost didn't say anythin' to Sebastian. She pushed his hand away from her chin. She said, Yes. It is."
Sebastian smiled and looked at Scott Summers. He asked, "How may I help you?"
"How about you help us, you $h!thead," Rogue interrupted. Scott said, "Stop! We're not here to fight!" Rogue looked away from Sebastian. She knew what the b@$t@rd had done to Jean Grey. Even Jack Wyngarde, the mutant illusionist also known as Mastermind.
"Come inside," Sebastian said. He waved his hand towards the front opened door of the Hellfire Club buildin'. He looked quite the old guy I've seen before. He had slight white hair on the top of his head. His energy absorption powers aged him slowly. I also heard that his secondary mutation allowed him to redirect energy blasts similar to Bishop. I wonder how many mutants are there that they have a secondary mutation.
"Come, my friends," Sebastian said with a wicked smile. "What are you waiting for? I assure you this isn't a trap."
"He's right, you know," Harry said with a smirk. "Quite right." Jack Wyngarde raised his both hands and the smoke screen went away. The dirty ground wasn't there any more except for the grass. It was all an illusion made perfectly by Jack. This guy's mutant ability was the same as William Stryker's son, Jason Stryker. I also heard Jack was the one who tried to control Jean Grey and her new awakenin' powers.
We went inside the buildin' of the Hellfire Club. The door was closed behind us. The inside guest room was quite big, alright. The walls had several paintings on them. The furniture looked the same and quite old like some Victorian house. There were three chairs facin' towards each other. This place is where Sebastian, Jack, and Harry must've discuss their plans of power. I wonder if there were any more members of the Hellfire Club.
Hank McCoy looked at the paintings on the walls. He said, "How brilliant this art they are. This place hasn't been changed a bit."
Sebastian walked to the fireplace. At the top of the fireplace was his picture dressed in an old attire. He replied, "I heard you're fond of the works of art, Mr. McCoy. I would be glad to show you more."
"Now's not the time," Scott interrupted. "We're here to talk. Not show and tell."
Sebastian looked back to Scott. He said, "Tell me, Scott." What is it you want from me? You know I was responsible for the death of your beloved. Why should I help you?"
Scott looked at us for a while. Then he said, "This may not be the time to argue, Sebastian. We know your money is been funded to create more Sentinels in the past. You had a deal with Bolivar Trask."
Sebastian took out a metal stick and put it inside the fireplace. He took the stick out from the flamin' wood logs. He said, "I see. So you want me to eliminate the Sentinel threat? Is that it?"
"No, Sebastian," Emma answered, "We came here to find out if you know anything about Master Mold. So we can stop the Sentinels."
"That's right," Hank said. "We were hoping if you could provide us any valuable information."
"HA! HA! HA!" Harry laughed. "You hear that, Jack? The X-Men wants our help."
"I hear it quite well, my friend," Jack Wyngarde said.
"Enough!" Sebastian said a bit loudly. He looked at Scott and said, "So...the leader of the X-Men wants my precious help. What can you do for me?"
"What the f*ck are you talkin' about, Shaw?" I asked angrily.
"This ain't what we came for, Sugah," Rogue said. Colossus seemed to agree with her. He said, "She is right, Scott. We have not come here to do the dirty job for them."
After a moment of silence, Scott said, "I know. I figured Sebastian would say it."
"What?!" We shouted together with kinda shock. "You gotta be kiddin' me," I said.
"Actually..." Scott paused. "I talked with Sebastian in private. That's why he knew we would come here."
"Scott..." Emma paused.
"I'm sorry, Emma. I know I should've told you. But I think it's best to let Sebastian know we're coming here. If we want help, we'll have to listen to what Sebastian has to say." Scott stared at Sebastian who still holds the metal stick towards the fireplace. Shaw showed a wicked smile in the face. Then he said, "I'm sorry that Scott hasn't told any of you of our earlier discussion."
"Scott...You..." I paused, tryin' to say somethin' to Scott. But Emma Frost stopped me. Sebastian went to the fireplace again. He said, "Well, X-Men. Now that you are all here. I want you to do something for me in exchange of your help."
"What's that?" Scott asked.
Sebastian looked at the fireplace and this time he didn't put the metal stick through the burnin' logs. He said, "Shinobi Shaw."
We looked at each other with surprise. Emma asked, "Your son's still alive?"
"Yes, Emma," Sebastian said calmly. "He's very much alive. However, he's planning to overthrow me from the Hellfire Club."
"Why?" Hank asked. "He's your own son. What possibly he could hold against you?"
Sebastian was quiet for the moment. He stared at this own picture from the wall at the top of the fireplace. He said, "Power. He wants my power. He has new friends to help him. They're called the Upstarts."
"Upstarts?" I asked with confusion.
"Yes, Logan," Sebastian continued. The Upstarts were a group who planned to kill us under the control of a powerful telepath called the Gamemaster. It was part of his mind experiment to make sure that I get defeated."
"Wait, Sebastian..." Emma paused. "Are you sure your son is against you? What if the Gamemaster is using him as his tool? Have you ever thought of it?"
Sebastian was quiet when he looked at the young appearance of Emma Frost. "I forgot to mention you still look beautiful, Emma."
"Answer her question, d@mmit!" I said.
Sebastian looked at me, givin' another wicked smile. He finally answered, "I'm aware of it. But I'm pretty sure my son is against me. When he was a small child, he always wanted power. He said that when he grows up, he'll take over the Hellfire Club as soon I was gone. But I didn't allow it to happen."
"I see," Hank said. "You never intended to give power to your son. You wanted it yourself."
"Yes," Sebastian said. He looked at Scott and then the rest of us. He said, "Do this for me and I'll help you. What do you say, X-Men? Is it a deal?" Sebastian raised his hand, waitin' for the handshake from Scott.
"Scott..." I paused. "I ain't likin' this. This could be a trick for all we know. But Scott didn't seem to be listenin' to me. He looked at Sebastian Shaw and gave him the handshake. Scott said, "It's a deal."
To be continued in Wolverine: Future X, Part 5- Execution.
Wait! Caliban? But he can only detect mutants. How can he help the old man Logan and Remy? Unless...You'll find in the next part. Now, the X-Men had made a deal with Sebastian Shaw. Is it a trap? What will happen in the next part? Find out as Wolverine and the X-Men goes head-to-head with Shinobi Shaw and his gang. I have a bad feelin' about this. SNIKT!
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